Chapter 2
“You meeting up with Dennis’ daughter tonight?” I hear my father asking from the kitchen door. It startles me and I drop a potato in the sink.
“Yes, Papa,” I respond as I finish washing the potatoes for dinner.
“Good, make nice,” his voice is clipped and cold. I haven’t seen him in four years and nothing about him has changed in that short amount of time.
Make nice? What is that supposed to mean?
I’ve never not been nice even when I’ve wanted to scream at the top of my lungs at him.
Why does he want me to hang out with the mayor’s daughter?
From the buzz around the house Papa wants to expand the farm and purchase the land next to this place owned by the city.
Does he want to use me as a way to bridge that relationship?
I swallow down what I really want to say and plaster a smile across my lips.
“Yes, Papa.”
“You may use the car, but I expect you to be home at a decent hour. No respectable girl stays out late at night,” he declares.
I didn’t get home from my mission trip and my rebellious detour from the airport until after one in the morning a few days ago.
I lied when we were at breakfast the next morning and said that there was an accident on the highway that delayed me.
It seemed to appease the adults, but I find that I’m ignored more than not around here, which works out perfectly for me.
“Can I see Mama today?” I ask. She hasn’t been here, and no one will tell me anything about her whereabouts.
The older woman next to me, who I’ve learned is named Karen, clears her throat.
“She’s not ready for visitors,” Papa snaps, looking down at his phone then leaves without another word.
I haven’t been able to see her since I’ve been back. Everything has changed so much in the four years since I was shipped off to a foreign country, all in the name of doing my duty for The Fellowship.
“Why must you agitate him by bringing her up?” Karen spews next to me by the sink.
I want to scream and throw this potato at her head. Who does this woman think she is?
“Her? As in my mother?” I turn and place my hip up against the stainless steel sink.
“We do not bring her up unless Shepherd Walter does,” Karen informs me.
Shepherd Walter.
Apparently that is what my father is referred to now.
Not just his name has changed, but where we live is all new too.
The Fellowship occupies a three hundred acre farm outside of Sweetwater.
It has various little homes that house men and women.
There is a small section that is actually for farming I’ve come to realize, but for the most part, it’s become like a commune of the congregation, which has grown to hundreds of members over the years.
The church in the middle of town is still used on Sundays and Wednesdays, but it’s mostly for appearances from what I’m gathering.
I reach for the rag and wipe my wet hands off.
“I’m going to get ready,” I tell her and toss it on the counter.
“Be home early,” she says at my back as I make my way out.
I stop and snap my neck towards her. Who does she think she is? I take a deep breath in my nose and then out. I need to remember my place. I need to remember that I have a purpose. So I paste my best, obedient smile on that I’ve perfected over the years.
“Of course.”
“Of course, what?” Karen stands tall and crosses her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow.
I grind the back of my molars down and swallow hard.
“Of course, Mother Karen,” I grit.
“Much better, dear. Now go,” she dismisses then turns her back to me.
I want to scream and throw the closest object I can reach at her.
Upon my arrival, I learned that my father has taken on multiple wives besides my mother since I was gone. Four, in fact, and they’ve all had kids together. I have nine half siblings, all under the age of four.
After putting on a long skirt and short sleeve shirt, I head out of my designated room in the main house where I’m told to stay and out through the house where the car is located.
“Sutton,” I hear my name called and see Papa and a man dressed in a similar button down shirt with slacks on.
“Yes, Papa?”
“Don’t cause any problems,” he tells me. “You conduct yourself in a holy manner that reflects on me. I expect you to remember that.”
He’s told me that since before I can remember. He’s always been so worried about what others might think of him.
“Of course,” I agree with a nod.
“It’s time you finally give value to The Fellowship. I’ve found a match that will please and unite the cause. The grandfather is a very important man who is coming into town in a few weeks, and we will seal your marriage then.”
I can’t stop my jaw from dropping. I’ve heard of arranged marriages, but until this moment, I stupidly thought it wouldn’t happen to me.
“But I—”
“You will do as you’re told and what will please me, girl. You should be glad to have someone that will take you after what you caused on your mission trip,” Papa snarls at me. “They are willing to look past you being unclean and not as holy.”
His words are like a punch to my gut and all the air leaves my lungs. That closed door in my mind cracks open, and my body starts to tremble.
“Are you listening to me?” Papa’s voice brings me out of my nightmare, and I focus on him. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of money secured with a metal clip and hands me some cash. “Get your head out of the clouds and start pulling your weight around here.”
I nod not wanting to add anything else to his verbal lashing that might bring up that horrible event. His name is called off in the distance, and he leaves without another word.
My legs are finally able to move from where they are planted, and I make my way to the row of white cars and trucks here on the property. They each have a designated number on the side to tell them apart.
Not much has changed in the small town since I left here four years ago as I drive down the main street. A few things have been updated and a few shops are new, but for the most part, it’s still the quiet little town.
Parking the car in front of the diner Mama and I used to come to for breakfast on Saturday mornings before she was sent away on her mission, I get out and make my way in. The chime on the door alerts the young waitress nearby of my presence, and she comes over.
“Table for one?” she asks.
“No, I’m meeting someone,” I tell her, and my nervousness starts to kick in.
“Sutton?” I hear over the waitress’s shoulder.
A beautiful girl with sapphire blue eyes comes over from a nearby booth. She’s tiny like me but very fit.
“Raegan?” I question, wanting to make sure that this is her and not someone else I’m supposed to remember. She nods, and I follow her the few steps to the booth and take a seat across from her.
“Hi,” she greets as menus are placed in front of us.
“Hi,” I return then busy myself looking over the selection. I haven’t eaten real food in what seems like forever.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. What’ve you been up to?” Raegan asks after we order our drinks. I splurged and ordered a Coke.
My shoulders sag but then I straighten. This could be a trap set up by Papa to see how I respond. No way am I going back on another mission. They’d have to carry me kicking and screaming.
“I just got back from a mission trip in South America,” I tell her.
“Really? Wow, that’s great. So your church went to build homes?”
“Something like that,” I mumble as our drinks arrive and place our order for food.
“What else have you been up to?”
“That’s it. As soon as I graduated, I was shipped off.”
Her jaw falls opens. “And you just got back?” She sounds so shocked and I nod. “But why the hell so long?”
I shrug my shoulders, “Kinda didn’t have a choice in the matter. Papa makes that call for the members.”
“Did you at least get to travel and see the different countries and explore?”
I shake my head, “No, we weren’t allowed to leave the camp we were stationed at.”
“Excuse my language, but that’s pretty shitty to get shipped off to a foreign country for years.”
I snort through my nose and almost laugh. “It was terrible.” The moment the words leave my throat, my hand comes up and smacks across my mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” I say pleadingly.
She gives me bewildered look.
“I’d be saying a lot worse things than that. Probably even fork the front lawn all the way to the mailbox too,” Raegan says, and it makes me laugh. She joins in, and it’s like a tethered lifeline.
Our food comes and I dive into the cheeseburger and fries with a gusto.
“What did you do after you left?” I ask to change the subject. “Was it junior year?”
She nods, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Yeah, my boyfriend at the time cheated, or so I thought. So I went to live with my dad in Seattle.”
She tells me she went to college, got her degree, and does computer tech consulting for various companies. I wouldn’t know the first thing about any of that because I haven’t touched any electronics since I had to turn over my phone before I was dropped off at the airport four years ago.
“You look different since high school,” Raegan comments in between bites.
“Not having access to good fatty foods will do that,” I laugh. “I think I’ve dropped forty pounds since high school, and I’m definitely not as pale as I was since I’ve been out in the sun over the years.”
We start talking about a few people we remember from school. Even though she was a year ahead of me, Sweetwater is still a small town, so we know a chunk of the same ones.
“My roommate, Ivy, is coming into town tomorrow. We’re gonna hangout around town and meet up with a friend to swim if you want to join us,” she asks as we walk out of the diner after she pays for my meal.
“I don’t have a swimsuit,” I say shaking my head. Plus I don’t know if Papa will allow me. I need to figure out how my exit plan is going to work. It needs to be pushed up sooner since he mentioned finding me a husband to marry.